


Lost My Way

by The_Faeries_Requiem



Series: The Unus Collection [3]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Cat/Human Hybrids, Deaf Character, Fluff, Gay, Hongjoong is deaf, How Do I Tag, Hybrids, I Don't Even Know, I Tried, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Not Beta Read, What Was I Thinking?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:27:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29846343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Faeries_Requiem/pseuds/The_Faeries_Requiem
Summary: His protector was a small man with striking white hair. And cat ears. And a tail. He had been saved by a white cat hybrid.
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Original Male Character(s)
Series: The Unus Collection [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2103234
Kudos: 4





	Lost My Way

Sam Whitley lived alone. This wasn’t to say he was a recluse or a shut-in. He just didn’t do well with people.

From the age of five till the age of nineteen, he’d been bullied. He was an orphan living in foster care so the bullies had lots of ammo. But no one ever realised how kind he was.

Despite what he’d been through, the redhead was the sweetest, kindest person in the neighbourhood. When hybrids became the latest trend, the whole school bought into it. Except Sam.

To others, hybrids were pets. Nothing more, nothing less. To Sam, they were people. Scientist may have genetically altered them, but their DNA was mainly human.

Sam always loved working alongside those who had less than him. Whether that meant they were homeless or disabled, he loved to be useful. He’d even learnt sign language to help out a child in the apartment building he lived in.

One evening, in late spring, Sam was walking home from his job at the Community Centre. There was an alley he had to take in order to get home that always made him feel weird. Like something was watching him, waiting to pounce.

There was.

This evening in particular though, there was something more malicious waiting. As the redhead entered the alley, a gun was thrust into his face. His attacker made use of the shadows, using them to hide their own appearance. A gruff voice demanded money.

Sam refused. He was expecting the attacker to get violet and possibly shoot him. He was not expecting that his attacker would be assaulted from behind.

When his fight or flight instinct finally returned the use of his feet to him, Sam walked closer to the shadows. Something, or someone, just out of sight moved. There was a grunt and his attacker was thrust back into the light of the streetlamp at the mouth of the alley.

The youthful looking gentleman now had a set of claw marks raking across his face. Blood trickled into his eye as he fled, never looking back.

Sam turned back to the shadows. Now his eyes were adjusted to the lack of light, he could make out a shape.

“Thank you,” he called out. Yet he got no reaction.

Curious, Sam stepped closer to the shape. Closer and closer he got, until he was right in front of it. Well, him actually.

His protector was a small man with striking white hair. And cat ears. And a tail. He had been saved by a white cat hybrid.

Sam squatted down uncomfortably. The hybrid didn’t meet his eyes. Judging from the bruising and scars littered across his petite frame, he wasn’t used to gratitude. No one had ever treated him nicely.

Like Sam.

Timidly, Sam waved a pale hand in the shorter’s eyeline. He was careful to make sure that his hand wasn’t so close that the hybrid would see it as a threat and not too far that they may not see it.

The hybrid flinched but turned to look at Sam. The redhead held both hands out in front of him now. He wanted to show the hybrid that he was safe with Sam. The hybrid’s eyes were blue.

That explained why verbal cues didn’t get Sam anywhere. He was deaf.

Carefully, Sam began to sign to the hybrid.

‘Hi, I’m Sam. Can you tell me your name?’

The hybrid cocked his head curiously. After a second, he raised shaking hands.

‘Hongjoong, Mr. Please don’t hit me.’

What the man signed broke Sam’s heart. He shook his head. Thinking to himself about all the times he’d uttered those same words only to be answered by cruel laughter.

‘Well, Hongjoong, thank you for saving me.’

As he signed ‘thank you’ to the hybrid, the shorter man began to tense. There was somebody else in the alley. Lurking just passed the edge of the shadows was the man who tried to rob Sam with some other men. They’d come back.

Sam turned his back to Hongjoong, keeping him from view should these people look to close. Rising slowly, the redhead picked up a large rock and threw it across to the other side of the alley. The noise panicked their would-be attackers. Now scared for their lives, they turned and fled.

Sam turned back to Hongjoong. The hybrid looked shocked.

‘You saved me too, why?’

‘Why not. You’re as human as I am, my friend.’

The hybrid’s blue eyes sparkled. He had a friend. Someone who would protect him too. A slow smile spread across the cat-boy’s face. His smiled shined in the dim light of the alley and made Sam’s heart stutter.

‘Would you like to come home with me Hongjoong? So I can keep you safe?’

The hybrid locked shocked for a second and then worried. Something awful must have happened to him at his last ‘home’. Sam reached out carefully and placed a small hand on Hongjoong’s shoulder. The touch was enough to pull the hybrid back to the present. He nodded.

Both of their smiles were impossibly wide at this point, as Sam gently helped Hongjoong up. Offering a hand to the shorter man, the redhead began to make his way home.

The word made Hongjoong’s heart skip a beat. This time would be different, he promised himself. This time would be different because it would be forever. And it would be safe. And he would be loved instead of lost on the street.


End file.
